Attachment for chairs.



N0. 704,!09. Patented July 8, I902.

A. M. RICHARDS.

ATTACHMENT FOR CHAIRS. (Application filed Feb. 11, 1901.) (N0 Modal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR M. RICHARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHM ENT FOR CHAIRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 704,109, dated July 8,1902.

Application filed February 11, 1901. Serial No. 46,983. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR M. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Chairs,of which the following is a specification.

Myimprovements relate to attachments for pivoted-back chairs, such asshown in Letters Patent No. 47 8,130, granted to myself and James A.Giese July 5, 1892, in which the chair is provided witha pivoted back,which is normally held yieldingly in an upright position by a spring-and-pivot attachment, whereby the upper portion of the panel will yieldand swing backwardly when pressure, such as the weight of the body, isapplied against the face thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and effectivespring-pivot attachment for such a chair which shall be strong, durable,and cheap.

Another object of my invention is to provide such an attachment whichshall be wholly self-contained and which may be fur nished to themanufacturers completely assembled and ready for attachment to a chair.

These and such other objects as may hereinafter appear are attained bythe devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-'- Figure1 is a front view of a chair embodying my invention, a part thereofbeingbroken away to show the attachment. Fig. 2 is a detail view of aportion of an arm in elevation and a section of thepanel of a chair withmy device attached thereto. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the inner side'ofthe panel-plate of my device on the line 4 a of Fig. 2 looking in adirection opposite to that indicated by the arrows. Fig. at is a similarview of the chair-plate of my device on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 lookingin the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectionon the line 5 5 of Fig. '2 looking in the direction indicated by thearrows. Fig. 6 shows an elevation of the panel side of my device withthe parts shown in dotted lines in deflected position. Fig. 7 is asimilar view of a modified form of my device, but without showing thedeflected position; and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the modified form shownin Fig. 7, with a portion thereof broken away.

Similar letters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawlngs.

Referring by letter to the accompanying drawings, A is a plate, which Icall the armwhich is preferably attached to the chairarm,) which isprovided with a wing a, which constitutes a face-plate and is'screwed tothe arm of a chair, as shown. The arm-plate A is provided with a lug B,preferably cast upon the central portion thereof, the outer surface ofsaid lug being provided with a smaller lug 1) near the upper endthereof, which forms a stop in the manner hereinafter indicated. Theouter surface of said lug B is also provided with another extension orboss 0, upon which the panel-plate D is journaled.

In my preferred construction I mount a compound leaf-sprin g E,comprising the main spring E, which may be generally of a horse shoeshape, which is partially surrounded by the smaller auxiliary spring 6.This spring is of such dimensions and contour with reference to the lugB that it may be sprung thereon and be brought snugly in contacttherewith at two or more points, so as to be held by said lug againstlateral displacement. The width of the spring should be such as to bringit even with or slightly below the outer surface of said lug, from whichthe lug h and the boss 0 project.

I provide the arm-plate with perforations 1 which are adapted toregister with smaller perforations f in the panel-plate in such a theperforations F and into the perforations f, the perforations f being ofsuch a size, however, that the heads of the screws may not passtherethrough. The purpose of this construction will appear farther on.

The panel-plate D is provided on its inner face and near the upper andlower ends thereof with the lugs d d. Said lug cl is adapted to fitsnugly between the upper ends of the spring E and to serve alternatelyas a stop for either of said ends of the spring E, according as power isapplied to deflect the spring in one direction or the other. The

manner that screws may be dropped through plate; because it is theportion of m device lower lug d merely serves as an additional means forholding the spring E in place. The panel-plate D is also provided with astopslot G, adapted to receive the lug or stop 1) upon the arm of thelug B, thereby serving to limit the movement of the panel-plate D acrosssaid arm. The panel-plateD is also provided with the perforation c,which is adapted to loosely receive the boss or bearing 0, upon whichthe panel-plate D is journaled.

I prefer to construct the boss or bearing 0 with a projecting rim formedby partially hollowing out the end of said boss or bearing, which rimwhen the parts are assembled may be upset into a surrounding annulardepression in the outer surface of the panel-plate D in such a mannerthat the plates A and D will be securely but loosely riveted togetherthereby, so that the plate D shall be free to move upon the boss orbearing 0.

The device is assembled by springing the spring E into place around thelug B, by then mounting the plate D upon its bearing 0 and in such amanner that the lug d shall come between the ends of the spring E, thelug d shall fit below the lower end of the spring E, and the lug or stopI) shall fit within the stop-slot G. The end of the boss 0 is then upsetin the manner before described, and the device is then completelyassembled and is self-contained, ready for attachment to the arm andpanel of the pivoted panel-chair. A suitable recess having been preparedin the edge of the framework of the panel of achair of sufficient sizeand depth to receive the panel-plate D and the parts between the platesA and D, the panel-plate side of my device is inserted in such recess.The necessary attaching-screws are passed through the perforations F inthe plate A, the heads there of fitting into countersunk depressionssurrounding the perforationsfin the panel-plate, and by means of ascrew-driver, which may be inserted through the opening F in the plateA, the panel-plate is securely screwed to place. The correspondingattachment having been similarly attached to the opposite side of thepanel, the panel is now placed in position in such a manner as to bringthe wings or face-plates a of the plates A against the faces of therespective rear uprights of the arms of the chair, and the plates Abeing then attached to such uprights in the usual manner by means ofscrews driven through the face-plates a the panel is securely at tachedin position. As so assembled and attached to a chair and its panel itwill be observed that the plate A is held rigidly in position. The plateD is pivoted thereto by means of the boss or bearing 0. Pressure beingnow applied against the end of the panel will tend to deflect the plateD upon its pivot C and across the face of the plate A. This tendencyisresisted by the pressure of one endof the spring E against the lug d,which reslstance 1s overcome as the pressure becomes greater than theopposing pressure exerted by the end of the spring, and one end of thespring is pressed or forced open in the manner shown in the dotted linesin Fig. 6, the opposite end of the spring being held stationary by theupper end or arm of the lug B. At the same time the movement of theplate G against such spring-pressure is limited by the cooperationbetween the stop I) and the stopslot Gr, so that all excessivedeflection of the spring is rendered impossible.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modification of my device in which theboss B is circular in form and is surrounded by a coilspring instead ofthe leaf-spring E, one end of said coil-spring being attached to theplate A and the other end of said spring being attached to the plate Din such a manner that any deflection of either plate with reference tothe other will tighten said coil-spring, the amount of said deflectionbeing limited by a stop (1 upon the plate D operating between opposingstops on the plate A.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-- 1. An attachment for chairs, comprising apanel-plate and a chair-plate pivotally attached to each other,spring-engaging means upon said plates, a leaf-spring surrounding theconnecting-pivot and adjacent to said spring-engaging means so as toyieldingly resist the pivotal movement of eitherplate across the face ofthe other plate, substantially as described.

2. An attachment for chairs, comprising a plate provided with a bossupon one face thereof, a reduced extension upon said boss, a secondplate pivotally mounted upon said extension of said boss,spring-engaging means upon said plates, and a leaf-spring interposedbetween said plates and adjacent to said spring-engaging means so as toyieldingly oppose the pivotal movement of either of said plates acrossthe face of the other of said plates, substantially as described.

3. An attachment for chairs, comprising a plate, a boss upon one face ofsaid plate, means upon said plate for engaging a spring, a second platepivotally mounted upon said first plate, means upon said second platefor engaging a spring, a leaf-spring interposed between said plates andaround said boss and adapted to coact with said spring-engaging meansupon each of said plates, so as to yieldingly resist the pivotalmovement of either plate across the face of the other plate,substantially as described.

A. In an attachment for panel-back chairs, the combination of a plateprovided with an angular portion constituting a face-plate forattachment to one part of a chair, a boss upon one face of saidfirst-named plate, a springengaging lug upon the same face of saidplate, a second plate pivotally mounted upon said boss, a springinterposed between said plates mounted upon said boss Ion and adapted toengage said spring-engaging lug, a lug upon said second plate alsoadapted to engage said spring, screw-holes in said second plate forreceiving attaching-screws and larger holes in said first plateregistering with said screw-holes in such a manner that screws may bepassed entirely through said first plate into the screw-holes in saidsecond plate so that said second plate may be attached thereby to thechair, substantially as described.

5. An attachment for chairs comprising a pair of plates pivotallyattached to each other,

ARTHUR M. RICHARDS.

WVitnesses:

O. R. BARNETT, M. E. SHIELDS.

